Publications

What are Service Animals? 

• Services animals are different from pets, emotional or support animals, and therapy animals.  
• A service animal is described by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law, and the rules are the same everywhere in the U.S.  
• Service animals are dogs and occasionally miniature horses that help a person with a disability perform tasks. 
• These animals play a crucial role in helping people with disabilities navigate their daily lives and live independently.  

Examples of Specific, Trained Tasks: 

• Guiding someone who is blind or has low vision,  
• Providing physical assistance for those with mobility disabilities,  
• Detecting low blood sugar levels or blood pressure drops,  
• Alerting someone who is deaf or hard of hearing,  
• Reminding someone to take their medication, or  
• Licking, pawing, or lying on the owner during an anxiety attack as a grounding mechanism 

Where Can Service Animals Go? 

• Generally, wherever you go, your service animal can go. 
• Service animals are allowed in public places, even those that don't allow pets, like shopping malls, schools, government buildings, restaurants, and grocery stores. 
• However, there may be some places your animal can’t go, such as sterile environments at a hospital or food prep areas in a restaurant. 
• You may need to bring your service animal with you to work. If so, you’ll work with your employer to get a reasonable accommodation to bring them with you.  The Job Accommodation Network has more information about this process. 

 Do You Need Documentation? 

• Your service dog or horse must be trained to perform a specific task, but there is no specific paperwork or ID card that identifies a service animal.  
• Service animals don't have to wear vests that identify them as service animals, even though some do. 

Questions People Can Ask You  

Sometimes, people may wonder if your dog is a service dog. They can ask you these questions: 

• Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? 
• What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?  

But they cannot ask you: 

• What is your disability? 
• Can the animal demonstrate the task it performs for you? 
• Do you have any documentation to prove your animal is a certified, trained service animal? 

Your Responsibility 

• Your service animal must be housebroken and under your control at all times.  
• If your service animal is not under your control, you can be asked to remove your service animal.   
• There are additional rules and limitations that apply when you travel on an airplane. Check with the airline before booking any flights to see what documentation they require to board the plane with your service animal.  

Reminder to Others 

When you see service animals out with people, they're working. Please don't try to pet or distract them. Although it may seem harmless, distracting service animals puts their owner in danger.  

The information provided herein does not constitute legal representation or advice.